What does on background mean? If you're Speaking to reporters on background, what does it mean? Well, first of all, just like with off the record, you need to ask the reporter in advance. Say, may I speak to you on background? Don't just pause and then start speaking. Wait until the reporter has specifically said yes, that's okay.
So here's what it means to most people most the time, my background means the reporter will not identify you by name. They may say a senior official media training worldwide, or a senior official at Udemy. But they're not going to identify you by name or by exact title. Hence, you're sort of in the background. They are allowed to use your statements and they can put your ideas into a story. So this is an opportunity for you to influence the story.
Yet not be directly attributed to it. So there are times to do this in general, don't say anything you don't want to see in the story with your name attached because reporters can make mistakes, they could decide to just betray you. An editor could see it and demand that it goes in. So there's still some risk. But there are times when it is helpful. So again, I cannot give you a blanket statement that you should never speak on background.
It can be a useful tool. It's especially helpful in politics, where you have a new proposal, you're not sure how much political support is out there for it. And so you say we're the mayor's office or the Governor's Office of the President, the administration is considering doing x. You floated out there, your name isn't attached. And then you see does it gain support or is there so much opposition that people want to destroy And then you can say, well, we never officially did this that not saying that's great, but that is how it works. That is a part of statecraft like it or not.
So there are uses for it. Sometimes you may think someone in your organization or somewhere in some organization you're with is just doing something really, really horrible bad for customers or the public or the community. And you want to let the world know but you're fearful that if your name is attached, they'll fire you, punish you attack you in some way. Speaking on background can be a way of doing that. So that is an option where your ideas are put in. And typically you're not quoted.
It's just the ideas you have. Get into the story that's speaking on background